Australia's Cadel Evans won a grueling seventh stage of the Giro d'Italia over 222 kilometers from Carrara to Montalcino on Saturday as Alexander Vinokourov regained possession of the race leader's pink jersey.

Evans's hopes of going on to battle for overall victory appeared dead and buried as early as the fourth stage following his BMC team's disastrous performance in the team time trial. However, in grim weather the two-time Tour de France runner-up produced the kind of gutsy ride that won him the world champion's jersey in Mendrisio last year before dominating Italian Damiano Cunego of Lampre and Astana's Vinokourov in a tough uphill sprint finish.

"Today was important but there are still many more mountains and decisive stages to come," said Evans.

Vinokourov led the race for a day following stage three, and now leads Evans, in second, by 1min 12sec overall with Briton David Millar, of Garmin, in third at 1:29.

Overnight leader Vincenzo Nibali of Liquigas lost more than two minutes after a crash just over 30km from home saw him lose touch with the leaders.

On an impressive day of racing, pouring rain and tricky gravel roads over the last 25km added to the peloton's challenge of what was a tough undulating stage.

To a man every rider came home covered from head to toe in mud. Former Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre of Cervelo was among the most disappointed, the Spaniard trailing in more than five minutes behind.

Italian Nibali and team leader and compatriot Ivan Basso had started the day in first and second place overall, and their crash proved a turning point.

It gave Vinokourov, who started fourth overall at 33secs behind, the spur to attack along with a small group of riders. Evans was initially absent from the breakaway but dug deep and eventually closed the gap.

Evans and Vinokourov drove the lead group on and in the final 10km Evans responded immediately when Vinokourov broke out of the front group.

Cunego led the chasers with David Aroyo of Caisse d'Epargne and HTC-Columbia's Marco Pinotti and one by one they joined the front two as Nibali and Basso were forced to soldier on to try and limit their losses.

Coming into the final 2km Evans looked the strongest and he led out the five-man train before putting his head down and attacking in the final 500m.

Cunego was perfectly placed on his wheel with Vinokourov behind him but neither had the strength to match the Australian.

Nibali dropped to fifth overall at 1:33 with Basso eighth at 1:51.

Sunday's eighth stage should mix up the overall standings even more following a 189km ride from Chianciano to Monte Terminillo which ends on the race's first summit finish.